Really useless used car ads.

Hi, Folks,
I am hunting for a used car for the wife. Over the years, I have bought many used cars and trucks, but most have been from friends or business associates, whom I can trust to be straight with me.

This time, I am searching the classifieds. Here is a list of the things that some people do with the classified ads that really piss me off.

1. Many people do not list the mileage! Some people just don't know, like the lady who thinks it is much more useful that I know the Durango is "silver in colour" (like I thought it was made of the stuff) with grey leather, and that she was pregnant with child #5 and really needs a minivan.
Engine size.... don't know..........any equipment that does not work..... don't know.........mileage......don't know.
Then when she does ask the husband what the mileage is, she GETS THE INFO WRONG 3 TIMES and tells me its 24 k, (it was really 240 k).
Listen, lady, that's a huge difference!! BTW if it's your husbands truck and he knows about it, GET HIM TO WRITE THE DAMED AD IN THE FIRST PLACE!!

2. However, there are plenty of ads where people do not list the mileage, just to generate phone calls! Tell you what, DO NOT WASTE MY TIME!! List the mileage!! I do not care if you think the 300k it really has would discourage people from calling. They will only be driven away AND be pissed off when they eventually find out the truth!

3. Next, actually provide some useful info!! Take a few seconds to indicate features etc in a useful manner.

4. Also, be TRUTHFUL about the condition! Does it have a big dent in the side, or is there serious problems with it? Tell the truth on the phone, because if I get there and find you have been lying, I'll really be pissed, and I'll not buy the thing!

5. Finally, ANSWER YOUR DAMNED PHONE! RETURN YOUR MESSAGES AND EMAILS. It just sucks if you don't.

Whew, okay I feel better.

Lol I feel yah.

Back when I was trying to sell my car, I had like 3 inquirers a day just because I provided many pics and described everything well. It definitely helps to give alot of info.

Then on the other hand when you are selling, you get folk who call you - want to know if the car has VTEC (it's a Ford Mondeo V6 ST not a Honda), ask what ESP/dynamic stability control and when you explain it to them - they say BS, wet dream and that's only on F1 cars.

Then you have folk who turn up for a test drive and take a look at the car - then tell you they will give you less because it's a stick not an auto (hello it's supposed to be the performance version)... complain about the tyres (they were S03s) weren't that good as some obscure Chinese brand I'd never heard of... and then want to go solo on a test drive and get offended when you ask to see their licence (which is restricted and for auto only).

Someone wanted to know what the REAL MILEAGE was... (duh?) and some hero wanted to know when on the test drive what the weird grinding noise was when he decided to dump the clutch @ 4000rpm on a wet road (to check it out?!!) was... and why it had no power... I think the grinding noise was my teeth and I was glad he had no idea what traction control was...

Eventually sold the car to someone who test drove it, got it inspected and then had the car transported over 1,000 miles to the South Island... and told me it was the best one he'd seen and about the only one with a full service history and no expense spared (well it was my car...)

i was thinking of buying a friend's truck until i actually got the lowdown on it.

i asked mileage, he said it was about 100,000 miles. when he sent pics it was 154,000 miles. close, just fifty-four THOUSAND miles off the mark.

said it was all good outside. the brush guard, grille guard, whatever you want to call the flimsy piece of chrome crap on the front, it was dented, bent and hanging off the truck.

the inside was a total mess of crap strewn accross the floor. there were strips of adhesive tape on the rear windows from some werid covers he had on them.

it was in a colour i liked, and had grey cloth which i want. otherwise, it didn't have much going for it in my eyes.

I sold my Skyline before Xmas.

I put the model number in the advert.
I put 'automatic' in the advert.
I put '4 door sedan' in the advert.
I put 'non-turbo' in the advert.
:disappoin

Eventually I got a call from someone who knew what it was and wanted to buy it. But not before every 12 year old with a jizz-stained GTR poster had rung up and asked all of the stupid questions.

And the spotty kid who offered me $2000 less because he 'really wanted a Legacy'.................:shakehead

I would agree that selling a car is worse than buying one.

Personally, I scrapped a few, traded two, but only actually ever sold one to the general public. The rest of mine I've kept, (to avoid hassle, )which explains why I have 10 right now, in various stages of disrepair.

I had a friend drive me over 200 miles to pick up my Lumina LTZ which the dealer deemed to be in "perfect" shape. I got there and it was nice, but not near perfect. It had some dings to be expected, the clearcoat was rough on the front bumper and there were several rock chips on the drivers side rocker panel. To top that off it had been in an accident (minor damage reported). I bought the car because it was what I'd always wanted, but I was a little disappointed because I was expecting PERFECTION!!!!

I've bought and sold a lot of used cars, usualy for a profit or at least a break even number. I usualy don't run an ad, I just detail them out and put them on a corner for someone to fall in love with.

Mileage doesn't mean a lot any more with cars lasting over 300 thousand with routine maintenance. I usualy look for vehicles that have over 150 thousand miles. By then all the expensive stuff like fuel injection, pumps, etc.. has already been done.

One trick I learned about selling thru an ad is don't wait around for someone who say's "I'll come by and take a look at it". If he/she sounds serious get their address and drive it over to them, yours will probably be the first car they see. If they won't give you the address they aren't serious and will probably never show up, wasting your time. I hate waiting for peeps that never show.